Michael Barnes

I was introduced to Ilsa J. Bick's Ashes Trilogy by a couple of bookclubers (thanks Amanda and Greta) and it was a welcome suggestion. I am a fan of the zombie genre, looking over my books on Goodreads I have read fourteen zombie novels and series and this is certainly one of the first zombie novels in a series leaving me keen to launch straight into the second. That cliff hanger. The last time that happened was Mira grant's Feed and I have to wait a year before the next book dropped. This is much better since Shadows has been published (though it is currently on loan at my library).

Kirus reviews sums it up well "Splendidly paced apocalyptic zombie horror ends with a thrilling, terrifying cliffhanger and a number of unresolved mysteries"

A young adult novel very much in demand at my library. When it was chosen at the previous bookclub a month back I was No 12 on the list. By the weekend before book club I was down to No 6 which speaks to its popularity for a book published in 2005.

More lyrical than I expected - haven't read much WWII set in Germany literature. My exposure has been more Thomas Keneally 'Schindler's list', Primo Levi's 'If This Is a Man', and Art Spiegelman 'Maus'.

I was intrigued by the use of a philosophical, sentimental, melancholy grim reaper as the narrator, giving it a more resonant 3rd person perspective. Death was able to provide some of the more reflections, “I am haunted by humans.” "I wanted to tell the book thief many things, about beauty and brutality. But what could I tell her about those things that she didn’t already know? I wanted to explain that I am constantly overestimating and underestimating the human race—that rarely do I ever simply estimate it. I wanted to ask her how the same thing could be so ugly and so glorious, and its words and stories so damning and brilliant.

This big, (552 pages depending on edition and font size) expansive novel is a leisurely working out of fate, of seemingly chance encounters and events that ultimately touch, like dominoes as they collide. The writing is elegant, philosophical and moving. I have read a few reviews that recommend it is to be read slowly and savored. Sorry not really my thing but I can understand why it was so well regarded.

This novel won a metric frack tonne of awards, positive reviews and effusive praise. I can see why after I read this rich Middle Eastern fantasy, the first of a trilogy and the author Chakraborty’s intriguing debut.

"On the streets of 18th-century Cairo, young Nahri—she has a real talent for medicine but lacks the wherewithal to acquire proper training—makes a living swindling Ottoman nobles by pretending to wield supernatural powers she doesn’t believe in. Then, during a supposed exorcism, she somehow summons a mysterious djinn warrior named Dara, whose magic is both real and incomprehensibly powerful. Dara insists that Nahri is no longer safe—evil djinn threaten her life, so he must convey her to Daevabad, a legendary eastern city protected by impervious magical brass walls. During the hair-raising journey by flying carpet, Nahri meets spirits and monsters and develops feelings for Dara, a deeply conflicted being with a long, tangled past. At Daevabad she’s astonished to learn that she’s the daughter of a legendary healer of the Nahid family. All the more surprising, then, that King Ghassan, whose ancestor overthrew the ruling Nahid Council and stole Suleiman’s seal, which nullifies magic, welcomes her. With Ghassan’s younger son, Prince Ali, Nahri becomes immersed in the city’s deeply divisive (and not infrequently confusing) religious, political, and racial tensions. Meanwhile, Dara’s emerging history and personality grow more and more bewildering and ambiguous". -Kirkus review

In this syncretic, nonderivative and incredible backdrop, Chakraborty has constructed a compelling yarn of personal ambition, power politics, racial and religious tensions, strange magics, and terrifying creatures, culminating in a cataclysmic showdown that I did not see coming.

Can not wait to follow this in the next novel The Kingdom of Copper.

An new twist on the deal with the devil story which I found a pleasant change from the usual way these tales go. The last time I hit such a refreshing reinterpretation of the bargain of Faust was Ryka Aoki's 2021 Novel Light from Uncommon Stars.

A respectable faction of a bookclub I read with said positive things about this novel and I can certainly add my voice to the chorus.

Anyone already a fan of V.E.Schwabs need read no further and add this one to their To-Be-read- Ziggurat immediately. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a dark fantasy romance with queer protagonists and a cast of shadowy, ephemeral characters spanning centuries and continents. If you are into vampire books, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue just might scratch that itch. Although Addie is not a vampire, the story includes such vampire tropes as immortality, agelessness, and a cruel sire.

The historical periods span 300 years and I always enjoy those stories which we see our world change through our protagonist and Addie is a smart and experienced character who learns to over come the challenges and how she wins a victory for her lover means even though it does not conclude the story for her I am satisfied she will succeed in the end.

I was immediately impressed by Girls of Paper and Fire as in the first pages it includes trigger warnings and a list of support services. The author herself in these pages warns readers that the book deals with issues of violence and sexual assault, allowing readers to decide before even starting to read if this is the book for them. Seeing it at the beginning of this book gave me confidence these topics would be handled respectfully.

There is internalized misogyny throughout the story dealt with genuinely, treating all parties as people who have value despite their flaws. Girls are not written off as merely jealous or petty — they are given reasons for the ways in which they act.

The protagonist, Lei, goes through character development throughout the story. She’s extremely likable despite some frustrating qualities. You want her to succeed. She’s strong and courageous, but also weary and at times frightened. First and foremost she is human, making human choices and thinking human thoughts. Because of it, she sometimes does things that infuriate you. Like with all the characters, it’s refreshing that she’s allowed to have flaws and make mistakes without immediately being labelled a failure or worthless by the narrative. She’s allowed to grow and learn.

There is all so some spice in the primary relationship.

Certainly looking forward to reading the next novel in the trilogy Girls of Storm and Shadow.